


Son and Heir (of nothing in particular)

by banorawhites



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, lazard: aren't you tired of being nice don't you just want to go ape shitt, reeve: bro are you ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:01:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28964310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banorawhites/pseuds/banorawhites
Summary: Reeve stays to talk to Lazard after a particularly tense meeting.
Relationships: Lazard Deusericus/Reeve Tuesti
Kudos: 6





	Son and Heir (of nothing in particular)

**Author's Note:**

> reeve your character slips through my fingers like water i hope i did you justice.

“Are you doing alright?”

Lazard looked at the hand settled on his shoulder, and followed up the arm until he saw Reeve’s face at the top of it. 

Compared to the blank yet resolute expression he had had the entire meeting, Reeve‘s face looked unnervingly soft. Lazard had learnt not to trust anyone at Shinra, much less anyone on the board, but looking at Reeve now gave him the impression that no matter what he said now, it would never leave this room.

Lazard took a moment to breathe before responding “I’m alright. Why do you ask?”

“You don’t look alright.”

He wasn’t. He knew that being in Shinra and trying to fight for those in the slums would be hard, but there were days when sitting in meetings and hearing the constant degradation of the slum folk- him, his mother, his friends- wore on his conscience heavily.

Reeve was the only one who didn’t grate his nerves the same as the others did. He was silent, meek, and never one to contradict, but he never outright agreed with the bullshit that came out of Heidegger and Scarlet’s mouths sometimes. It wasn’t much, but it was the only thing proving Lazard had a potential ally in all of this.

“I’m not,” Lazard admitted with a soft sigh. He lay his head in his hands and rubbed his face slowly, taking another deep breath. It felt nice to admit it, at least, even if it was just exposing yet another weak point to sheathe a knife in.

Reeve nodded sagely as if he could tell just what was going on from his tone of voice. He pulled out the chair next to Lazard’s and sat down, looking at him with a slightly curious expression. Reeve wasn’t the kind to keep a black book, surely. He doubted Reeve remembered his full name most days. They hardly ran in the same circles- neither of them ran in any circles. Reeve wouldn’t do anything.

“They talk about my friends- my family- as if they’re some sort of parasite. They’re so convinced they’re never going to come in contact with them. How stupid do they think we are down there? By Gaia, they should know they’re _people_ down there, surely. They’re people! Every time they talk about the slum rats I can’t help but think about my mother, or my cousins, or me!” Lazard began to shout, and for a moment was glad the room is deserted besides from Reeve.

“What do they think they gain from pretending Midgar is so much more deserted than it is? They act as if no-one exists down there and then kick up a fuss when they have to pretend to acknowledge them! I’d love to see the looks on their faces when they realise that one of the no-good creatures from down in that hellhole was sat amongst them! I want to laugh in the fucking President’s face when he realises his own flesh and blood fought his way up from the slums to spit in his fucking face!” Lazard continued to yell, face flushing red as he gripped the desk tightly. He shut his eyes for a moment and pounded the desk one last time before he slumped back in his chair, hands covering his face again.

Reeve sat in silence for a moment, waiting until Lazard was done before he spoke.

“You needed to get that out, didn’t you?”

Lazard nodded, face still covered by his hands as if he didn’t want to acknowledge it. “You heard it all.”

Reeve nodded again, and Lazard groaned.

“I promised myself I’d never tell anyone that, you know. Consider yourself lucky.” 

“I won’t tell anyone. Losing you would be an incredible pity.” Reeve replied, and Lazard looked up, confused.

“Me?”

“You. You’re the only man I’ve seen who has the gall to stand up to anyone here. They walk all over me, but you can look them in the eyes and say no.”

For a moment, Lazard thinks about telling Reeve to grow a fucking backbone, but he decides against it, biting the inside of his lip to stop himself from snapping at him. Reeve is too nice for Lazard to explode again. Besides, he’s not the problem here anyway. Reeve said nothing. It was everyone else that was the problem. Lazard has no idea how he’s managed to stay this… soft despite being at the company for longer than he has. Perhaps he’s is simply staring straight through the outer shell and doesn’t know it.

“Sometimes I think you’re the only sane man up here,” Lazard replied, finally taking his head out of his hands to look over at Reeve. Reeve shakes his head softly, a small smile on his face.

He has a kind smile, Lazard notes. His smile reaches his eyes, causing them to crinkle slightly at the corners. 

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew me any more than you do now,” Reeve admitted, laughing quietly. “That hardly matters, though. I think you need to get out of here before you do something rash.”

There’s a beat, and then Lazard nods, pushing himself up from the chair like his body felt ten times heavier than it usually was. By the way his shoulders are drooping, Reeve suspects it is.

“You can come back with me if you wanted. To my apartment, I mean. Just for the evening. It’d be nice to have some company there.” Reeve said, sentences coming out stilted and uncomfortable but otherwise earnest. “It’d be nice to get to know you better.”

Lazard knows it’s dangerous. He can’t afford to be more vulnerable around Reeve, not after what he’s told him. Reeve knows far too much to be let out of the room without Lazard threatening him to silence.

And yet he nods, brushes his jacket off and heads towards the door. He wonders if Reeve will let him stop on the way to buy them both some drinks.


End file.
